Need an easy way to get your “five to nine a day” for fruits and vegetables? Reach for dried fruit. There’s lots more than raisins, dried apricots, and dried plums (prunes) on store shelves today. Are dried fruits as nutritious as fresh? Overall, yes, except the drying process destroys a hefty amount of vitamin C
Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year! Whether you eat out or in, enjoy Asian flavors and foods today, and get their good-for-you benefits. Traditional Chinese meals have plenty of vegetables, rice, and noodles (that’s their benefit), yet they’re modest with meat, poultry, and fish. Besides their vitamins and minerals, vegetables in Chinese dishes
You don’t need to buy out the supplement shelf. But you do need to take the right vitamin or mineral supplement for your age and unique health needs. Remember, food first! Then if you need a supplement, here’s what health experts advise as a daily guideline, depending on your age: 20s, 30s, or 40s: folic
Ready to reduce your long-term risks for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes? Trimming fat from your food is a great step toward meeting that healthy-eating goal. Health experts advise 20 to 35 percent of calories from fat (44 to 78 fat grams for a 2,000-calorie daily eating plan). And keep saturated fat (including trans fatty
An old wives’ tale proves true: carrots do help you see better. It has long been known that carrots’ beta carotene (which forms vitamin A) helps your eyes adjust to dim light. Cutting-edge research suggests that other antioxidants in plant-based foods may help protect your eyesight from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Eating foods rich
Do you want to be and stay healthy? Want sound information to help you do the right thing? Good news: you’re in the driver’s seat! Are you ready for healthful eating and active living? Check the statements that sound most like you: □ I want to eat better and move more, but not now. Okay
Ever make New Year’s resolutions with enthusiasm, only to break them after a few days? For a better chance of success, make plans—not just resolutions—for fitness, healthier eating, weight loss, or whatever’s important for you. Here’s how: Break your big goals (resolutions) into smaller, more specific goals. List realistic changes that match your goals. Specifi
Got the sniffles? Runny nose got you down? Too stuffed up to breathe easily or to taste a great meal? You likely have a common cold—too common during frosty winter days! That said, can any foods, nutrients, or supplements prevent it, or at least minimize your symptoms? So far, dietary cure-all claims aren’t backed by
Do you realize that a physically active lifestyle helps you get a deeper, more restful sleep? Gives you strength and stamina to do what matters most to you? Gives you some calorie leeway to enjoy another bite? May even extend your life? With the holiday season over, now’s a great time to see if your
Does January mark your renewed goal for a healthy weight? Great! For long-term success and good health along the way, take weight loss slow, steady, smart. A realistic, healthful goal? Most experts agree: 1⁄2 to 1 pound of weight loss per week. To quickly judge a popular diet, check for these ill-fated qualities: promises of